Trick Williams picked up the biggest victory of his career during Friday night’s SmackDown in Phoenix, scoring a major pinfall over Jacob Fatu after Drew McIntyre returned to the scene and caused a critical distraction at ringside. The moment not only secured the win for Williams but also further intensified the brewing rivalry between McIntyre and Fatu as WrestleMania 42 draws closer.

The finish came during a fast paced and hard fought match that had momentum swinging back and forth. Fatu attempted his signature double jump moonsault late in the contest, but Williams avoided disaster by rolling out of the ring. Fatu followed him to the outside and delivered a powerful shoulder tackle from the apron. However, the turning point came when McIntyre, who had dramatically declared earlier in the night that he was quitting SmackDown, suddenly reappeared.

With the referee distracted, McIntyre attacked Fatu at ringside and drove him into the ring post. The interference left Fatu vulnerable inside the ring. Williams quickly capitalized on the opening, blasting Fatu with a running knee strike. As Fatu struggled to recover, Williams connected with a second running knee, scoring the decisive pinfall.

After the match concluded, McIntyre stepped into the ring and stood over the fallen Fatu. Without hesitation, he lined up his opponent and delivered a crushing Claymore kick, sending a clear message that their conflict is far from over.

Fatu had controlled much of the early action in the match. He absorbed a neckbreaker from Williams and immediately bounced back to his feet before unleashing a series of powerful attacks including a clothesline, a back senton and a handspring moonsault. The Samoan powerhouse even tossed Williams over the top rope and attempted a suicide dive, but Williams intercepted him with a forearm strike that halted his momentum.

The battle soon spilled to the outside as both competitors traded blows around ringside. They repeatedly slammed one another into the announce desk, the steel steps and the ringside barricade before eventually returning to the ring.

Williams attempted to slow things down with a spinning heel kick and a reverse chin lock. Fatu answered with an aerial attack using Whisper in the Wind that nearly ended the match. Williams responded with a cyclone kick, a leaping neckbreaker and a uranage, but Fatu refused to stay down.

Fatu then surged back with a superkick followed by a pop up Samoan drop. He added a running hip attack and later soared from the top rope with a swanton bomb, yet Williams still kicked out. Fatu looked to finish the match by climbing for his double jump moonsault, but Williams narrowly avoided it by rolling to the floor, leading to the outside exchange where McIntyre struck.

Earlier in the broadcast, McIntyre had confronted SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis and Jacob Fatu in a heated exchange. Fatu openly mocked McIntyre and took credit for costing him the Undisputed WWE Championship, telling him he was responsible for the loss. McIntyre, furious and frustrated, declared he was done with everything and exited through the crowd.

His surprise return later in the night answered Fatu’s challenge. The Claymore kick delivered after the match made it clear that McIntyre still has unfinished business.

The situation now points heavily toward a clash between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 42, scheduled for April 18 and 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The rivalry stems from Fatu interfering in McIntyre’s title defense against Cody Rhodes on March 6, where Fatu prevented McIntyre from using a steel chair and helped shift the outcome of the match. That interference ended McIntyre’s 56 day reign as Undisputed WWE Champion and set the stage for the animosity now playing out on SmackDown.

For Trick Williams, the victory marks another significant step in his rise through WWE. While McIntyre’s involvement played a role in the finish, pinning someone as dominant as Jacob Fatu on SmackDown adds a major highlight to Williams’ growing resume as WrestleMania season approaches.